Alternating and direct current electric distribution.



P. H THOMA3.

ALTERNATING AND DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1910.

1,1 1 0,598, Patented Sept 15, 191 5,.

WITNESSES: INVE/l TOR nX/M' .v @zm. a

uiurnp srnrns PATENT orrion PERCY H., THOMAS, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN NEW JERSEY, A.

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ALTERIQ'ATING AND DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Original application filed :ra' mai 24,1903. Serial no. 140,353. Divided and application filed May 6, 903,

Serial No. 155,923. Divided and this applieaticnfiled June 13, 1910. Serial No. 566,540.

The present invention discloses a system of electric circuits and apparatus by means of which it is made possible to obtain direct currents of constant strength from a'source of constant alternating currents, and to ap:

ply the current thus obtained to any type oi translating devices requiring constant current.

Thedistribution of the currents derived from the source to the work or consumption circuit is controlled by means of current rectifiers. These may be devices of the same general character as the gas or vapor electric lam s disclosed in certain United States Letters ateint issued to Peter Cooper Hewitt, September 1?, 1901, notably Patents No. 682,690 to 682,699, inclusive.

The apparatus referred to consists, in general, of a suitable container inclosing a conducting gas or vapor and two or more electrodes. The negative electrode may conveniently be of mercury, and the positive electrode or electrodes may be of iron.

It is known that when apparatus of this description issubjectedto the proper conditions, current will traverse the gas or vapor within the container in a given direction, after the original resistance to starting has once been broken down, while it will oppose to the flow of current in the opposite direction a practically prohibitive resistance.

ih'e manner in which I utilize the qualities of such a current rectifying device so as to serve the purposes of the present invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, the two figures of which are diagrammatic illustrations of typical systems of electrical distribution to which, among others, my invention is appli- Cable.

Referring to Figure 1,10 represents a transformer, the primary, 30, of which is connected with leads from a constant potential alternating source. Its secondary, 31, is opnnected with distribution wires, 20 and 21,

in one of which, as 20, is included a reactance 0011, ii. To com lets the reactancc device, a suitable core, is provided and this core is connected to one end of a pivoted lever, 8, which supports at its opposite end a counter-weight, 9.

The reactancecoil 4: and itsasso'ciated de- 69 vices are intended to act as an alternating current regulator having the property of maintaining constant current in the work circuit. The regulator here shown is simply typical of alternating current regulators of an sort having the described property.

' nstead of employing a transformer and a regulator, as described, the wires 20 and 21 may be supplied with alternating currents of constant stren th by any other 0 means, as, for instance, y a constant current alternating generator. The illustration herein chosen is simply intended to show that my invention is clearly applicable to well-known existing systems of alternating current distribution in which regulators desi ed to maintain constant current are used.

he mains of the consumption circuit are shown at 1 and 2, while the translating devices supplied through the consumption circuit appear at 16. These translating devices may be any translating devices Whatsoever adapted to be operated by currents Qt constant strength and uniform direction,

such, "for instance, as direct current are lamps.

To secure the delivery through the mains 1 and-20f currents of proper direction from the wires 20 and 21, I make use of-current rectifiers, 5 and 6, which have the quality of permitting a flow of current in one direction and opposing prohibitive resistance to the How of current in the opposite direction. The direction of current flow through these devices is indicated by arrows. For convenience, the rectifiers marked 5 may be; termed positive devices, and the rectifiers marked 6 negative devices. It will be seen that the main conductor lis connected to each of the delivery wires 20 and 21, through a positive device, and the main conductor 2 is connected to each of the said wires through a negative device.

Assuming that the system is in operation, positive impulses from the wire 20 will enter 105 the consumption circuit through the current rectifier 5, thus reaching the main conductor 1, and will pass throu h. the circuit to the main conductor 2, reaching the wire 21 through one of the current rectifiers (3. Any tendency for these impulses to pass to the wire 21 through the lower current rectitier 5, as it appears in the drawing, would be resisted by the said rectifier, which permits current flow only in the direction indicated. by the arrow. Similarly, positive impulses from the wire 21 will pass through the rectitier 5, and after reaching tae main conductor 1 will traverse the consumption devices to the wire 24 and go back to the wire 20 through one of the current rectifiers 6.

Negative impulses from the wires 20 and 21, will flow between the said wires and the wire 2 in the first instance, traversing one or the other of the rectifiers 6, and the completion of the course of the current after traversing the consumption circuit will take place through one or the other of the rectifiers 5. in this way the consumption circuit is supplied with currents of uniform direction, and as the applied currents are of con stant strength, the circuit is adapted, as stated, to the feeding of direct current devices requiring constant current.

In Fig. 2 I illustrate the mode in which my invention. may be applied to other forms of circuits. Here, for example, the wires 20 and 21 are shown as including the primaries, 11, 12 and 23, of three tansioriners whose secondaries are connected with vary" ing forms of electric circuits. Thus, the secondary, 22, for the primary 11 is connected with a three-wire system of electrical distribution having the usual mains 1 and 2, and a neutral wire 3 running to an intermediate point in the said secondary. As before, oneot the main conductors is connected to each outer terminal of the source through a positive device, and the other main conductor is connected to each outer terminal through a negative device.

When the two sides of the three-wire circuit are'evcnly balanced, there will be no resultant current in the neutral wire, and the positive impulses from the source will pass across the entire system and will. rcturn through one or the other of the rectifiers 6. Negative impulses will similarly pass through the entire thrcc-wire circuit under the conditions named.

may insert between the mains 1 and 2, one or more translating devices, as 32, requiring for operating the entire potential oi the circuit.

The secondary 13, corresponding to the primary 12, is adapted to supply, through the connections indicated, two circuits which are here shown as having a common wire 3. The positive impulses from one terminal of the secondary will feed the translating dcvices between the wires 1 and 3, while the for supplying roce.

negative impulses from the termi a will feed the translating devices between the wires 2 and 3, these conditions l) reversed, howere when the positive negative impulse :roin of the secondary considered.

The secondary, 241:, corresponding to the primary 25, here represented as supplying two circuits similar to those inst .c-- scribed, except that storage batteries, is and 15, are here represented as being interposed between the wires 1 and 3, and the and 3, respectively. 1' also show a typical representation, l'l', of Cooper t connected up between the Wires 1 The function of the storage but produce a more constant flow of the respective circuits. current and be charged impulses, and. dur int t "b flow from the source, t" rent to their respective I Any suit=lolc forts of substituted for the store a The translating devices be constant current translatin this is not regarded as an e and in Fig. 2, an; liary devrf age batteries, shown which permit employment in the circuit of other typeset translating devices.

The transformer 16 ll 1, nny iiselr be regarded as a source of constant. potential currents which are" made of constant strength by the employment of the 1236i. ance device The transformation constunt current may he applied to currents derived from any alternating source, whether a constant potential source or not.

Should it he desired for any reason. to in'i press upon the consumption circuit cur" of only one direction from the alternat source, this mig be accozn lishcd oy su pressing, for ernnnple, all the Fig. 1 except that shown a. numbered 5. The main 2. of the cones: tion circuit would then hc'connccted d with the wire 21. of the delivery circuit. Under these conditions, the positive inipulses from one terminal of the source and negative impulses from the other terminal would traverse the ircuit and supply it with current of uniform direction.

The present application. is a division of applicants case, Serial Number 155,923, filed May (3th, 1903 which is a division of application 140,353, nled Jan. 24., 1903-.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a system of electrical. distribution, the combination with an alternating supply, means for rendering the current from said supply of constant value and a plurality of alternating. transformers connected in series in said constant curren circuit, of menus ting circuits lrrnu said transformers} means for separately rectifying the current from the secondaries of said transformers for use in said individual reeeiving c rcuits whgrehy constant direct current is obta ned. therein and means for utilizing storagebatteries for supplying current at constantpote'n'tial to translating-devices in one of said receiving circuits.

to v means for rendering thecurrent from said .2, In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with an alternating supply,

supply of constant value and a plurality of alternating transformers connected in series in said constant current circuit, of means ,for supplyingreceiving circuits from said transformers, means for rectifying the gilrrent from the secondaries of said trans- WM. H. CAPEL, THOS. H. BROWN. 

